Chikungunya Virus Confirmed in 15 States: CDC

A new mosquito-borne virus that has sickened tens of thousands of people throughout the Carribbean is now threatening the U.S., with cases confirmed in 15 states, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Reports.

The chikungunya virus — or "chik-v" — causes high fever and severe pain, and there is no vaccine to prevent it, CBS News reports.

"This is not a fatal infection; it’s just a miserable infection," said William Schaffner, M.D., chairman of Vanderbilt University’s Department of Preventive Medicine. "The chikungunya fever will last for three, four, five days. You’re miserable. Then you’ll get better. We can treat you symptomatically."

Cases of the virus have turned up in New York, Florida, and other states, according to the CDC.

So far, all of the infected Americans have contracted the virus in parts of the world where it is common. But researchers are worried that mosquitoes in the U.S. could pick up the disease by biting infected people.

"There’s a concern that people from the United States who go to the Caribbean might be bitten by infected mosquitoes and then bring this illness, this virus, back to the United States," Dr. Schaffner said. "We have the kind of mosquito that will transmit this virus here in the U.S."

A mosquito-borne virus that has sickened tens of thousands of people throughout the Carribbean is now threatening the U.S., with cases confirmed in 15 states, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Reports.

The information presented on this website is not intended as specific medical advice and is not a substitute for professional medical treatment or diagnosis. Read Newsmax Terms and Conditions of Service.